Captivated by Seamus’s sense of decor, I had overlooked the most noteworthy thing in the room. Nick got up from the couch. He opened his arms for a hug as I came in for a handshake. It took a moment for us to settle on a hug. Three seconds.Otherwise, it’d be too long. I wanted it longer, preferably with fewer clothes.
“I thought I was awkward.”
We turned to Seamus, eyeing us as he sniffed the open bottle. He sucked in a deep breath, holding it. Did he never blink? I’m certain he attempted to drill holes through us. He didn’t need to say much; his gaze did the talking.
“Dammit,” he growled. “Julie was right.”
He set the glasses on the coffee table, poured a finger of whisky in each, and then left the room. I don’t know why I expected Seamus to be less of himself in his house. If anything, he had turned even more gruff. If we were going to wrestle for a trophy, he’d win. I’d have to settle for second-place curmudgeon.
“Wasn’t sure you’d show.”
I hadn’t noticed it before, but somewhere in the room, I could hear the faint sound of a trumpet solo. When Nick returned to his seat, he patted the space next to him. I sat down, processing all the things that contradicted my expectations of the recluse. The interior reminded me of a rustic cabin, which fit Seamus. It was the surprising number of family portraits that surprised me. Was Firefly’s resident mountain man a secret softie?
I took a glass and handed it to Nick before taking mine. Sitting back, I got comfortable, my knee bumping against his as if I were tapping out Morse code.
“So, this is Charlie.”
Patrick leaned against the doorframe. Was there something in the water? How did Firefly have so many beefy bears? Had the gay council labelled it as every woodland critter’s favorite vacation spot? Did they have meetings where they traded beard grooming techniques?
“I’ve heard a lot about you.”
I stiffened, waiting for the gossip to come pouring out. What source had divulged secrets that didn’t belong to them? Bonnie,while getting groceries? Julie, while restocking the liquor cabinet? Did he attend Bingo with Gladys? Or was he one of the pie bakers who stopped by Mum’s house when Pops passed away?
“Nick said you work at a tattoo shop?”
Oh? Knowing it came from his mouth? That made it okay. I’d have to stop and think about why it bothered me when Firefly did it, but this flatlander got a free pass. Maybe the gossiper had to have a furry chest and a grippable ass?
“I did.”
“Did?”
“Did?” Nick echoed.
I hadn’t meant for it to sound so final. It did. It was. The sting remained.
Patrick took a seat in the chair on the other side of the coffee table. Seamus had robbed the cradle, and I could see why it worked. Patrick didn’t shy away from conversation.
“Sounds like a story to me,” he added.
Seamus returned, a glass in hand. He sipped as he sat. Other than the occasional swirl of whisky, he became part of the decor. I wonder if he hunted? Perched in a tree, the deer would never see him before he pulled the trigger.
“The shop closed. When I head back to Boston, I’ll start interviewing.”
“Interesting.” Patrick’s eyes narrowed.
Seamus reached over, hand on Patrick’s arm. “We talked about this.”
It came off as an effortless gesture from Seamus, as if there had always been an ease between them. Did I envy the comfortable certainty they displayed with one another? If not that, I was jealous that they didn’t care who noticed.
The gentle touch wouldn’t have been noteworthy if I weren’t playing a game of knee-touching with Nick. They made it lookeffortless, and I couldn’t even figure out if Nick and I were at the hugging stage. I was starting to think that being single might be my own fault.
Patrick chuckled. “I’m going to school for social work. Seamus thinks I’m intrusive.” His eyes narrowed at Seamus. “He doesn’t understand the art of conversation.”
“You didn’t mention the shop closing.”
Nick had thrown his baggage onto the table. I suppose I could open the vault door and explain the situation. A little.
“The owner got an offer from a developer. I can’t blame him.” My eyes went wide. “So many zeros. For the moment, I’ll chill here. I can find something when I get back to the city.”
